These Are the Times I Really Miss Not Having a Microwave

Five years ago I said goodbye to owning a microwave. After a stint with a microwave that always seemed a little off and cooked my food way too hot, followed by time with another that never seemed to get my food hot enough, this was one appliance I was happy to have out of my life and off my counter.

In the weeks and months leading up to our split I used the microwave less and less. I was convinced I'd never miss it — and for a long time I didn't.

At first I felt pride in not owning a microwave. I never quite liked the way it reheated food, so I happily turned to the oven and stove for that. Even though it took more time, my food always tasted better. Plus, I was thrilled to reclaim that counter space in my kitchen.

But more recently I've come to really miss some of the conveniences that come with having a microwave, and some of the foods that can only be cooked in the microwave.

1. Making cake (and pudding!) in a mug.

At first I tried to tell myself that I wasn't really missing out on mug cake — that it wasn't even "real" cake. Plus I probably wouldn't like it anyway (said no sweet tooth ever). Who was I trying to kid? I wanted mug cake so badly I even dressed up as a mug cake for Halloween.

Dessert in a Mug

2. Melting chocolate.

It's not like melting chocolate on the stovetop is difficult, time-consuming, or taxing, but sometimes I really wish I could just pop that bowl in for a whirl around the microwave, and not have to deal with washing that extra pot.

3. Making a quick batch of eggs for breakfast.

Some weekday mornings I have a real hankering for scrambled eggs for breakfast, or even a cozy shakshuka. I definitely don't have time to fire up the oven to cook the latter, and there's the issue of dealing with the pan and extra dishes from my scramble. The microwave, on the other hand, flawlessly cooks up eggs — scrambled, poached, shakshukas, or omelets — in literal minutes.

Make Breakfast in the Microwave

4. Popping microwave popcorn.

I pop popcorn on the stove, and it works just fine, but sometimes I don't want to deal with a big pot and oil. Sometimes I'd like a few less dishes to deal with, and just want to toss a few kernels in a small brown bag and fire up the microwave.